<p>My son will be an incoming freshman..Looking to find out which dorm is best and which ones to stay away from...
Also is it possible to get a single room as a freshman?</p>
<p>Thanks for any help!!</p>
<p>No. All freshman share a room. Even in Apartment Style Living.</p>
<p>Top Reccomendations</p>
<p>Reid
Anything in the Tolbert Area
Springs</p>
<p>Beaty is pretty good</p>
<p>Graham area is one of the best places on campus! And yes, he can have a single room, if he lives in Lakeside. But, Lakeside is pretty pricey.</p>
<p>I’ve heard the Murphree area is the most convenient place. I was thinking of living in Buckman hall, even though it has no A/C, because I think I’d be able to handle the heat since I live in Miami…should I? </p>
<p>If Buckman’s an absolute “NO!” then I’d apply to Fletcher or Sledd.</p>
<p>From a Freshman’s Point of View with friends all over campus: </p>
<p>Lakeside: You get your own room and a kitchen, but it is pricey and far away. No real way to walk there on foot unless you feel adventurous. The busses that go there and take you to say, the Hub (center of campus) are few and scarce. On the weekends there is only one bus running. Your friends will not be willing to go all the way out there for you, yet they’ll feel guilty for making you go all the way back alone. My friend from Lakeside who rides her bike to and from has stayed in my dorm twice because I’ve refused to let her ride home at 1am or later. </p>
<p>Murphree Area: Convenient area, I have multiple male friends who live there. Try to stay away from the non-AC dorms, but it is bearable if you bring your own portable AC. I’ve heard it gets better as it gets colder, when you, you know, def don’t need AC. Three of my friends live in a triple in Sledd, and it is VERY roommy. Another lives in a double in Murphree, which is bigger then any double I’ve seen on campus. Another lives in a two room triple, one room being the size of a double and that extra room that fits two people just fine. Murphree also has sinks in their rooms, which is VERY convenient, but I’ve noticed the rooms are more narrow then squares. This area also has a brand new common area with new seating and goodies. As for location, it is down the street from the Hub, near the stadium, and close to off-campus restaurants. The only issue is Tail Gators on game day, it is VERY loud. Bars are also across the street and it gets a little crazy game day/night. </p>
<p>Tolbert Area: I can’t tell you much about it, except it has a nice location. It is farther away from Reitz then Graham area, but closer to Gator Corner and the Stadium, and a five minute bike ride from the Hub and classes. I have a friend here who lives in a triple, no complaints. </p>
<p>Graham Area: Many Freshmen are turned off by the prospect of sharing a room with another person. I was too, but I’ve come to find it being a very good experience especially if you get along with your roommate. If you can find a roommate OR go on Roombug, that’s how I met mine. The doubles are roomy in this area (if you don’t have too much crap) and if anything you can go into the lounge areas to spread out and study or relax. It is a five minute walk from Reitz, and a ten-fifteen minute walk to the Hub/Turlington. On bike it is however fast you want to petal. You can catch the 118 or 121 right outside Graham and be in the Hub in 2-3 minutes, with busses coming anywhere between 5-10 minutes in between. It is down the street from the stadium, so the Tail Gators are usually older, more polite alumni (with some exceptions!). </p>
<p>Simpson - was completely redone over the summer. It has wooden floors, granite in the bathrooms, new built-ins, new new new!</p>
<p>Graham - Friend who lives here, no complaints. Not redone, but nice. </p>
<p>Trusler - where I live. Trusler I believe is the only pure Freshmen dorm on campus because of its Leadership and Scholarship Program. You can live here without participating in the program activities, but the activities are actually really great. For example, StudyEdge offered free tutoring in Graham area one night, where we got a ‘Scholarship’ stamp. Stamps are easy to get and some of the events can actually really benefit you. If you complete the program, you get a certification in Leadership and a spot in the Murphree Living Learning Community for Gator Sophmores (a two room double- two people get their own rooms) for the next year. Each floor has an RA and a Peer Mentor. I would recommend this to all Freshmen, as well as the Leadership class EDA4930, as from my roommate has told me it is more useful then First year Florida. Since it is also a 4000 level class, it generally counts in electives (though only one credit) and has really easy grades.</p>
<p>Thanks!!!
All great information…
We will see what happens!!</p>
<p>WHAT? </p>
<p>TOlbert area is not that far away from the Reitz.</p>
<p>I never said it was far away, just that it was farther away then Graham, which is literally across Gale. In my perspective Tolbert is up Gale just a little bit, so a little farther. I also stated I don’t know much about the area so I don’t know of any of shortcuts, generally if we’re going to the Reitz we walk down from Tolbert to Graham and go how we usually go.</p>
<p>And the five minute walk from Graham is variable. It’s much faster if you’re in a hurry or much slower if you’re with friends. Really students should/need to do is try to visit UF and gauge for themselves how far away things are.</p>
<p>I would highly recommend Broward Hall. My S lived there this time last year and had the time of his life. Why?
+almost totally freshman students
+right on campus dorm living near many freshman classes
+great place to meet lots of friends…then move into an apartment or across campus to Murphree Hall with these friends next year (Murphree is mostly sophmores and upper classmen)
+close to dining halls and places to eat
+recently refurbished flooring, paint, etc. (summers of 2010, 2011)
+is close to libraries—can be a bit noisy at times, so it is good to be close to libraries to study if you need to.</p>
<p>My S says he had the best year of his life during his first year in Broward…He met lots of friends, and is now living in an apartment with 3 of these friends he met in Broward. He highly recommends Broward to incoming freshman. If your S is the quieter type, Jennings is a great dorm. Hume is great if he is in the honors college—</p>
<p>Apartment-style is the best! I lived in Beaty over summer and it was the best situation for privacy and staying sane. I am now living in a triple in Jennings and I spend as little time there as possible.</p>
<p>It depends:
Depends on his social needs, is he a partier? does he need peace and quiet? For example Broward is not quiet and definitely a party dorm.</p>
<p>Depends if he wants to live to close to dining? I think Gator Dining on the west side of campus is much better. </p>
<p>Depends if he wants to be to the library? Then Murphree would be his best choice.</p>
<p>Depends if he is going to a frat? If he is he should live on the west side of campus. </p>
<p>In other words it just depends.</p>
<p>I’m probably going to want to be in the library a lot…the Murphree area seems the most centrally located as well. However, which of the Murphree area freshman dorms would you recommend the most? </p>
<p>I was thinking about living in Buckman hall because I think I can handle the heat, given that I live in Miami. But people say it’s not as breezy up there because it’s not a coastal city like Miami, so it’ll feel really humid… .__. </p>
<p>GatorNephy said Sledd hall is “VERY ROOMY,” but do you know if their double rooms are as roomy?</p>
<p>And what do you know about Fletcher hall? :x</p>
<p>Forget about Buckman heat is unbearable in gville during the summer. if you think Miami is hot? You are in a for a rude awaking.</p>
<p>Gainesville has no breeze, even higher humidity and the air just sits there stagnant and smoldering. No way no how live with no ac in gainesville. Just get a room in any Murphree area. but if the ac is not available? Run as fast as you can to Broward or Jennings.</p>
<p>It really depends in the circumstances that you’re in and your personal preferences. </p>
<p>If you want more of an apartment type of dorm then go with Beaty Towers. You would share a bathroom with four other people, plus you would have a living room and kitchen. If you don’t mind being farther out on campus then go with Lakeside or Springs since they’re a lot nicer and are more apartment/suite-like. However, the downfall of Beaty, Lakeside, and Springs are that they’re pricier than the other dorms. </p>
<p>If you don’t mind living in a more traditional dorm, I’d recommend the Graham Area, especially Simpson. It’s close to the Reitz and the Bookstore as well as Gator Dining Corner (only about a 4-5 minute walk or so). Simpson recently got renovated and the new flooring, appliances, and furniture is really nice. It definitely looks and feels a lot cozier than the other traditional dorms like Broward. However, the Graham Area can be a bit far from the Hub and central area where classes are [it’s about a 10 minutes walk], but the buses are constantly stopping right next to the area to take students to the Hub.</p>
<p>Well, I won’t be living in Buckman for the summer then. But what about fall and spring? They say it’s bearable then…and if anything I can just bring an A/C unit, right?</p>
<p>** GatorGurl2 **Yes you can install an a/c unit, it says right on the housing website.</p>
<p>I am an incoming freshman too but from info from friends and others on this board and the tour I went on, I applied for doubles in:</p>
<p>Reid
Graham
Beaty </p>
<p>I have heard these are good options and to stay way from Broward because its really messy. Springs and the Murphree area are supposed to be great but hard to get into as a first year. Same thing with Lakeside which is so far out anyway.</p>